


Listen

by celtic7irish



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hulk Needs a Hug, brief mention of unhappy childhood, like one sentence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-15
Packaged: 2018-07-15 05:01:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7208786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celtic7irish/pseuds/celtic7irish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hulk is good at listening.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Listen

Hulk was good at remembering.  He remembered mommy’s tears and father’s curses.  He remembered the slippery army man Ross, and the pretty Betty.  He remembered numbers and equations and formulas, too.  The ones that Banner muttered quietly when he thought no one was listening.  But Hulk was always listening, learning new things and remembering them.

 

He remembered guns; the small, puny ones that stung like bees, and the bigger ones that made him cry out in pain and rage, that could drop him to his knees – the ones that made him afraid, like when they were small and their father would hurt them in Banner’s weak body.  Hulk had always been there, even if neither of them had known it.

 

But Hulk remembered happier things, too.  Better things.  He remembered Betty’s pretty smile in the rain, when she told him that she loved him – all of him, both of him – and that one day, he wouldn’t have to run anymore.  He remembered the man with the star on his chest, over his heart, telling him to “smash” but not “hurt”.  He remembered the funny one with the bow and arrow that sometimes sang while he shot his pointed sticks at the enemy and made them go boom.

 

But most importantly, Hulk remembered what his favorite one, the man who could fly and wore pretty colors that glittered, had told him.  Well, he had said it to Bruce, but Hulk knew it had been meant for both of them.  “Look, Bruce, no matter what happens…I’m here, okay?  I’ll always be here.  Whatever you need, whatever you _want_ , you just let me know, okay?”

 

Banner had been unsure, but Hulk had been listening – Hulk always listened, because listening was important, it helped him to learn new things, to protect them – and he had been happy that their friend would do that for them.

 

Now, that same man was landing on the roof, his metal armor pulling away from him with help from the invisible friend.  Tony made a funny face when he saw Hulk sitting there waiting for him, but didn’t hesitate to walk up to him.  He wasn’t afraid of Hulk, not like the others were. “Hey, Hulk,” he greeted.  “What’s up?  Did Bruce stub his toe?”  He was smiling, amused.

 

Hulk shot the smaller man a disgusted look.  “Hulk not come because Banner hurt himself,” he rumbled.

 

Tony held up his hands with an easy grin.  “My bad,” he replied.  “So what’s up?  Just decided to have a Hulk Day?”

 

Hulk’s head snapped up as he stared at Tony in surprise.  That had never occurred to him.  Then he shook his head; he was getting distracted.  “Hulk’s just listening,” he said, glancing over the city.  “Noisy,” he complained.

 

Tony laughed, a warm sound that made Hulk want to smile, too.  “Yeah, it is,” he agreed.  Then he paused, considering.  “What sounds do you like?” he wondered.  Hulk looked at him in confusion, and Tony shrugged.  “Well, I’ve never actually thought about it, but you must have things you like, don’t you?”

 

Hulk thought about that seriously for a moment.  “Water,” he said at last.  “Water is pretty noise.  Wind.  Clip-clop like horses.  Not thunder, sounds like big guns.”  He nodded decisively.  “Hulk likes the sound of smashing, too,” he admitted, which made Tony laugh again.  Hulk decided that he liked the sound of Tony’s laughter.

 

“Well, it’s hard to hear things like that in the city,” Tony said after a moment.  “Why don’t you come inside?  I’ve got an idea, but it’s still too noisy out here.”

 

Hulk stood up and followed the smaller man inside, looking around the big room.  The sounds of the city were muffled here, though Hulk knew from Banner that Tony had other rooms that were completely soundproof.  He wondered why Tony didn’t soundproof the whole tower.

 

“Have a seat, Hulk,” Tony said, wandering over to the mini bar and pouring himself a drink.  The clink of ice in the glass and the splashing sound the liquid made when he poured it told Hulk that he had just been flying to relax.  He was calm, happy.  It was a good sound.  Sometimes, if Tony came back from a fight, his hands would shake, and Hulk didn’t like that noise, because it meant his friend was upset, or scared.  Tony shouldn’t be scared.  Hulk could protect him; protect all of them.

 

Without his armor, Tony was much quieter, physically.  But his presence made a lot of noise, even when he wasn’t saying anything.  Hulk liked listening to Tony’s not-noises.  He could track the man as he moved around the floor, but he didn’t have to listen to the genius speak big words that only Banner understood.  But Hulk never complained about Tony’s science talk because it meant that Tony was treating him like a not-monster.

 

Tony talked to Hulk like Betty had, like he was smart and not a dumb animal like Ross thought.  But Tony was better than Betty; Tony believed in Hulk.  He knew Hulk wouldn’t abandon the team, even if the rest of the team didn’t trust Hulk.  But they didn’t trust Tony, either, so maybe that was why Tony trusted Banner and Hulk.  Because he knew what it was like to not be believed in.

 

“What’re you thinking about so hard, Big Guy?” Tony asked from behind him.  Hulk smiled; he had known where the human was, but Tony didn’t know that.  He liked trying to scare Hulk.  It was a fun game though it never worked.  Hulk was too brave for that, too strong.

 

“Hulk trusts Shellhead,” he said, turning around to see the human.  “Hulk trusts Tony, too.”  He wanted to make it perfectly clear that it wasn’t just Iron Man he trusted, but Tony Stark himself.  Just like Tony trusted Banner _and_ Hulk.

 

Tony blinked in surprise, his mouth working for a moment before he actually forced words out.  “Good to know,” he managed, trying for levity and failing.  To cover, he took a long swallow of his drink – cognac, Hulk knew, recognizing the smell.  It was something that Brian Banner had never drunk.  Hulk smiled; even though Tony still drank, he was more careful about what and how much he drank.

 

Tony settled himself on Hulk’s lap, his back to Hulk’s broad green chest, and took another sip from his glass, his head tilted and his eyes narrowed in that way that meant he was trying to follow Hulk’s thoughts backwards.  Hulk rumbled out a pleased laugh; he liked puzzling the genius.  It made him feel clever.

 

After a few minutes, during which Hulk enjoyed the not-quiet of Tony’s thoughts and the feel of Tony’s small, warm body perched comfortably on his lap, the billionaire gave his head a sharp shake and shrugged, giving up.  Hulk chuckled, and Tony grinned up at him, tilting his head back so he could stare at Hulk upside down.  “Think that’s funny, huh?” he asked wryly.

 

Hulk nodded, baring his teeth at the other man, knowing that Tony would know it was a smile and not a threat.  “Tony is small. Funny,” he agreed.  Tony snorted, but didn’t argue.  Instead, he twisted around in Hulk’s lap.  It took Hulk a moment to realize that he was just turning around to face him, that he wasn’t leaving.  He huffed out a large breath and counted to five in his head, settling down.  It was something Banner had taught him, something to help after a fight when he was still restless but there was nobody around to smash except for his team.  It helped other times, too, like now.

 

Tony was watching him carefully, having grown very still on Hulk’s lap.  He didn’t smell of fear, just worry.  Or concern.  Hulk sometimes got the two mixed up in his head.

 

Not wanting to scare Tony, Hulk stilled as well.  In the sudden quiet, without any other distractions, the city noise encroached again.  Hulk grumbled.  “Noisy,” he complained without meaning to.

 

Tony smiled at him sympathetically.  “Yeah, it takes some getting used to,” he agreed.  “Although I’m pretty sure Bruce lived in noisier places than this sometimes,” he mused.

 

Hulk shook his head with a scowl.  “Banner hid,” he grumbled.  “Noisy. Dirty. Sick.  Not safe.”  Banner’s problem was that he tried to save people, and usually got caught in the process. “Banner likes people.  Hulk likes quiet.”  That pretty well summed up the entire relationship between them.  Bruce would go to crowded, noisy cities and try to keep Hulk back.  When something would happen and Hulk would come out, he would take them someplace far away from people, usually to someplace where there was water and trees.  And no people.

 

Tony eyed him consideringly again, then nodded to himself. “Well, then, I have an idea,” he said, standing up and moving to Hulk’s side.  Hulk turned his head to follow, but Tony stopped him with a quiet murmur.  He moved forward until his chest was pressed up against the side of Hulk’s head.  Hulk frowned, making a curious rumble.  “Just listen,” Tony insisted.

 

Hulk quieted down, and after a moment, he heard it.  The steady _thump-thumping_ sound that beat inside Tony’s chest.  His heart beat in an easy rhythm, not stressed or excited, just calm. Normal.  Hulk allowed himself to lean a little further against Tony, who took the added weight with a quiet grunt, his heart rate increasing for a moment with the shift in position before settling back to its normal rhythm.

 

Slowly, Hulk allowed his eyes to close, feeling Banner press tentatively against him, curious.  With a soft rumble, Hulk allowed the other man to take over, the steady thud of Tony’s heart accompanying his shift back. 


End file.
